Mind Games
by demon lilith
Summary: “What are you so scared of? It’s just a game…”
1. Chapter 1

Games, games, games I shall play

With your mind, mind, games I shall play

Sanity, sanity, refuses to stay…

"What are you so scared of? It's just a game…"

Sasuke's POV

There are only two people I fear, though I would never admit it. First of all, I fear my brother. This is not a conscious fear. When I think of him the only emotion in me is hate. I want to kill him. I will kill him. But when I'm on the edges of sleep, or maybe just a little wound up, or, if Kakashi spiked our drinks to get us to calm down, drunk, I fear him. I see him killing my family all over again. I hear him taunting me all over again. If it gets particularly out of hand, I begin to think he's there, and in that state of mind, attacking me. I can't tell paranoid hallucinations from reality, and I always wake up with enough wounds to make me freak out all over again. Of course, I know that I'm the one who hurt me, once I get back my mind. But in that small time when my sanity slips, I am truly afraid. There is only one other person who can make me feel this way.

Haruno, Sakura.


	2. Chapter 2

Ino's POV

"Starting today, all of you are real shinobi. But you are still Genin. The hard journey that lies ahead has just started. Now you will soon get mission to help the village, so today we will create three man teams… and each team will have a Jounin Sensei. You will follow your Sensei's instructions in order to successfully complete your missions. We tried to balance each team's strengths."

What?! I think. That stinks! That means that I have no chance with getting with any of my friends… but it also means I have no chance of getting with Sakura. Thank Kami. I let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. I will be safe. Now just…

"Ok… next is team 7. Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, and Uchiha Sasuke," reads Iruka Sensei.

My mouth drops open in horror. No… it couldn't be…

I gaze over at Kiba, whose look is identical to mine. He understands, and must be as afraid as I am. After all, now there's no telling what Sakura will do. She has both Sasuke and Naruto on her team. Somehow, I doubt it's a coincidence that those two boys are her current favorite toys. At least I'm not her favorite anymore.

Sakura is dangerous. She is by far the most dangerous person I have ever met. Not because she is powerful. She is powerful. Not because she is smart. Oh Kami, the girl is smart. No. She's dangerous because she lies. You think she was innocent. She seems innocent, until you make her angry. Until she holds a kunai to your throat. Until she starts to chuckle, and your blood boils cold. Until she whispers 'Let's play a game.'

Haruno Sakura is dangerous.

Shuddering, I get up out of my seat and begin to walk away. The last thing I need is to be alone in the classroom with her. But I was too late.

"Konnichiwa, Ino-chan," smiles Sakura sweetly. I can feel my blood go cold.

"I'm on the same team as Sasuke-kun… I won't lose to you Ino." Sakura declares.

"Same here Sakura… I won't lose to you no matter what." I say, hoping that my acting is alright, that no one will suspect anything. If they do, I'm worse than dead.

But apparently I said the right thing because she smiles at me sweetly again, like the innocent little girl she plays the role of, and hands me back the ribbon I gave her. My heart leaps. Does this mark the end of my role as her toy?

Then I feel guilty. If I'm momentarily safe, that means Sasuke and Naruto have been forced from the uncomfortable kettle onto the life threatening flames. She won't let them die though. On no, not cute little Sakura-chan.

"I gave you that ribbon. And forehead protectors go on your forehead…" I say.

"From now on I'm not a girl that follows you around," states Sakura, "The time I put on my forehead protector… is the time, as a female shinobi, that I don't lose to you…"

I can't help the wave of relief. My torture really is over. I can see Iruka Sensei smiling in the background. Suddenly it all feels awful again. Why does no one realize how destructive Sakura can be? Because no one will tell, simple as that. Who knows what will happen if we do.

Sakura smiles at me again, but this time the smile is real. I feel myself smiling back as she leaves the academy room. I follow, keeping myself a respectful distance behind her. I feel my blood altogether freeze when we get far enough away that the teachers can't see us, but she just ignores me and continues on. I feel like laughing, but I know better than to even squeak.

I make it all the way to my home with no problems, so I allow myself to celebrate. I tell my parents all about my new Genin team, Choji and Shikamaru. They seem interested, and very proud. I'm all smiles, all energy. That night I go to bed happy.

Then I remembered the ribbon Sakura had given me. I stand up carefully, walking barefooted over my cold bedroom floor over to where I put down all my ninja equipment. Picking up the ribbon carefully, I exam it. What should I do with it now? It would be a waste not to keep it, but keeping it keeps too many bad memories close to me. As I'm pondering, I notice a little piece of paper sewn into it.

My eyes widen with fear and it's only with sheer luck and will that I manage not to scream. You're being paranoid, I tell myself. Still, I can't bring myself to touch the ribbon.

My breathing increases its rate until I'm all but hyperventilating. Then I am hyperventilating, and it's too late to scream now, I don't have enough air. It's not until I fall too my floor, my fingernails drawing blood from my palm that I dare to grasp the ribbon again. Slowly, I force myself to take out the note. But I can't make myself read it.

Knowing how silly I'm being, I resolve to read it in the morning. I go to bed imagining Sakura is killing me and dream of being a chess pawn. Guess who's moving the pieces.

In the morning, I put on my makeup carefully, making sure not to smudge anything. I wore makeup I know she likes. I desperately hope she's in a good mood. Remembering the note, I turn to it. Afraid again, I make a deal with myself. If mom comes in or calls for me before I can read the note than I'll read it at school. If not…

"Ino! Breakfast!" calls mom. I almost laugh in glee. Part of me knows I'll pay for this later, but I grab the note and stuff it in my dress pocket.

I had almost made it to where I was supposed to meet Sensei when I saw her.

"Ino!" she calls in delight.

"Did you read it?" she asks when she's closer, close enough that I can feel her warm breath on my face.

"N-not yet," I stutter, knowing not to lie to her, "I was going to read it after I was my team, so I could be sure no one was watching."

"Would you like to hear what it says right now?" she whispers directly into my ear. I don't respond.

"It says: the antidote is under your bed. If it's morning when you read this, you'll be dead soon." Smiling brightly, her eyes hungrily taking in my horrified expression, she pulls back.

"I hope you like your Sensei," she mockingly calls. Her words echoing through my head, I turn around and race back to my room, ignoring the strange looks and worried questions of my father.

"Forgot something," I gasp. Quickly, I grab around under my bed. Then my hand connects with something. Hurriedly, I pull it out. How much time do I have left? Heart pounding, I see only another note inside.

_Go to the Kage Mountain. It's on the First's nose._

So off I run, panting. I'm scared. Will I die?

My vision is blurring already, and everything hurts. The mountain is huge. But I need the antidote, so up I go.

Another note. I should have known.

_Sasuke has it. Too bad he doesn't know that. Good luck!_

By now, I feel faint. Sasuke. I need to find him. Then it hits me. He and his team are waiting in a shack by the mountain. I race there. And practically throw myself through the door. But I was an idiot. Sakura is one of Sasuke's teammates.

"Ino?!" she exclaims, "What on earth are you doing here?! Sasuke doesn't like pigs like you, you know." Sasuke and Naruto look at me in pity, but they also look relieved. She must have been hurting them pretty badly, based on the scrapes on poor Naruto's legs.

"Sasuke! She gave- antidote- please!" I can't breathe now. Sasuke seems to understand how serious this is. But instead of wasting time searching for it, he turns to Sakura.

"Where is the antidote?" he asks lowly.

He's an idiot. He doesn't know her well enough yet. He was an idiot. He'll pay.

"Why Sasuke, I don't know what you're talking about. You didn't poison Ino, did you?" She cups his chin in her right hand pulling him close to her. I watch as the fear flashes across his face. It's too late for that. She jerks him forward, slamming her knee into his stomach. Probably already weakened, he falls to the ground. She pulls out a vile from under his shirt and hands it to me. I take it, trying not to pass out. It was a false hope either way.

"Well, read it!" she says, a huge smile covering her face. I try to concentrate, then shake my head.

"Can't," I tell her. Her smile grows.

Taking the paper from the vile, she reads, "Go back to Go. Don't collect 200 hundreds as you pass. It's under your father's scrolls." I only have a moment to wonder how she got into the Yamanake scroll room before I'm stumbling out.

I barely make it home. Thankfully, my father is in the green house and my mother is in the shop when I arrive. They can't know… about Sakura…

I panic upon entering the scroll room. So many scrolls. Which one holds the antidote? Which one?!

For once, Sakura was nice. A blue vile is under the first scroll I get the energy to move. Or not. Another note.

Trying my best to focus, I stand there dumbly. Then I put on my father's reading glasses. Slowly, the words come into focus.

_I lied._ _Funny how the human brain can be tricked into thinking it's in danger, isn't it?_

My eyes roll back into my head and I faint.


	3. Chapter 3: Nails

Shikamaru's POV

It doesn't take a genius to know that something is horribly, horribly wrong with Sakura Haruno. But for a long time, I didn't know. She was Ino's best friend. Ino and I were friends, but Sakura was her best friend. I should have known something was up when Ino always walked away from Sakura with cuts and scrapes that hadn't been there before.

"I fell."

"I didn't notice."

"Sakura and I were playing a game. I guess we got out of hand."

Bull crap. But I didn't realize that at first. I just shrugged it off as troublesome, and ignored Sakura. I never realized something was wrong.

To be fair, it wasn't completely my fault. Sure, I should take some of the blame. If I had just told someone in the beginning, than none of this would have happened. But why didn't Ino tell? Back then, Sakura was still young enough and weak enough to be beaten. She was not the sole winner of her game, not yet. So why didn't Ino tell?

At first, she must have viewed it as an honor. Sakura could be playing with anyone, but only Ino was worthy. It probably started out mild. Normal games, where Sakura maybe only twisted the rules a little bit. Then they must have slowly gotten harder and more dangerous. But only Ino was worthy, so Ino kept playing. Then it was too late, Sakura already had her claws in Ino. Ino was hers.

And I didn't even realize anything was wrong.

Then, Ino came to me, crying, because Sakura valued Sasuke over her. So I went to tell Sakura to leave Ino alone.

I looked everywhere. In her house, in the academy. Finally, I found her on the outskirts of the forest of death. She was quietly talking to herself.

"He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me, he loves me not. He… he doesn't love me?!"

Thinking that she had had her fun, I walked out from behind a tree.

"Hey, you shouldn't have been so mean to-"

She turned around and looked at me and the words I had been about to say died in my throat. She hadn't been pulling petals off a flower.

She had been pulling the nails off her fingers.

For a moment we just stared at each other. Then, for a split second, I could have sworn that I saw a glint of something evil flash through her eyes. Then she began to cry like crazy.

"He-he hates me!" she wailed, "Everyone hates me!"

"Don't you think that you're exaggerating a bit?" I had asked, "Ino liked you." Hatred had flashed through her eyes.

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare side with her!" Tears had filled her eyes again, giving her the look of a three year old crying about a scrape. Now I realize that they were fake, but back then I hadn't cared enough to realize the horrible truth about her. My laziness was my undoing.

"I was only a trophy to Ino," she had said bitterly, "a way of showing that she could even redeem me, a shy misfit. And of course I like Sasuke-kun over her. Sasuke is nice to me, not because, he's trying to prove something, but because he honestly cares. And if he likes me, maybe everyone will stop hating me." I had bitten my lip. Should I have noticed that she shouldn't have known why Ino was upset? Probably. Instead I just replied,

"His fangirls will hate you." She had nodded bitterly. Then a slow smile had spread across her face.

"Maybe. Shikamaru, I'm lonely. I've never had anyone who actually cares about me before."

"Um, okay." I was suddenly uncomfortable. I may be a genius, but I fail at reading people. But even to me, something was wrong.

"Shikamaru, will you be my friend? Pretty please?"

"I… guess…"

"That's great!" she had beamed, "Hey Shika-kun, wanna play with me?"

-

I watch as Sakura is interrogated. Iruka was getting suspicious. Of course, Kakashi wouldn't hear of such a thing. There is no way his new little student is such a heartless bitch. I can't believe he's even allowing an interrogation. But then, they did find proof that Sakura killed someone. Now they're trying to figure out why.

I don't think it's real. She let them know it was her. But why?

They're trying to hypnotize her using a Yamanake special clan jutsu. Suddenly her head falls. But it's wrong. It's all wrong. I want to speak up, but I know she'll find a way to wriggle her way out of this, and I don't want her to blame me. Because if she blames me, she'll hurt Ino or Choji. She's smart. She won't let me get away with incriminating her. Besides, I'm only here to see how far her abilities stretch.

"Why did you kill Lynell Gyna?"

"She hated me. She hurt me. They all did."

"Who all did?"

"Mommy. Daddy. Ami. Them."

"Them?" he asks. Sakura starts screaming. Suddenly she goes quite.

"That's for me to know," she says in an annoyingly high pitched sing-song like voice. They smile at each other. The idiots think this is progress. They think they're getting through to her. After all, how difficult can an eight year old be?

"Whatever you say Sakura."

"Sakura?" she looks confused, "My name is Lilith." So there's her trick.

"Really? Can you tell us some things about you Lilith?"

"I could." She crosses her arms over her chest angrily, "And it's Lie-lith, not Lil-ith."

"Really?"

"Why am I even here?"

"You have been arrested for murder." 'Lilith' blinked.

"Murder?" Then she smirks.

"Oh, you mean Demon-chan got a hold of someone. Good. She's been so thirsty lately."

"Demon-chan?"

"What is this, interrogation?! Oh, I guess it is. Demon-chan is what I call the voice in my head. See, the schizophrenia medicine? Yeah, it doesn't work. Demon-chan even takes over sometimes. She needs blood, who can blame her?" I gulp. That doesn't sound like Sakura. I should know better, but that really doesn't sound like Sakura at all.

"How old are you, Lilith, and how long have you known Demon?" Lilith looks slightly confused.

"I-I'm… five? I can't remember for some reason… whenever Demon's in control, I don't what's going on. I could be six, depending on how long she's been in control. My birthday is February 29, and I've always heard Demon, as far as I know." There. Now they know that both personalities were created by Sakura at about age three. But why? Wait… they're not real. I need to remember that. After all, Sakura's birthday is on March the 28th.

"Lilith, did anything bad happen in your childhood? This is important; it tells us why you can hear Demon."

"Mommy hated me," the child said wistfully, "I was never good enough for her." Only I notice the slight smirk covering her lips. Suddenly I don't care if this is Sakura or Lilith. She's dangerous. But it's like she's covered in genjutsu. Why am I the only one who seems to notice? Why does no one else see that she's deadly? A little girl can kill us all. No one is doing anything. Dad was right. Women are dangerous.

Lilith is dangerous. Sakura is dangerous. And I'm scared of them. I hate this. I hate knowing how completely she controls me, but it's for Ino and Choji. Only for them, which is probably why she does this in the first place. How can I stop her?

I watch in shock as they give her medicine and make her promise to take it. They're saying things like 'multiple personalities' or 'schizophrenic, don't know which yet,' and 'repressed memories.' I just watch, feeling slightly dazed, as Sakura leaves. I crawl backwards, edging my way out of the air vent. This isn't good.

-

"So," she says cheerfully, "if you can either make or find me a Devil's Pitchfork, I'll leave you and your friends alone. If you can't you must follow every order I give for the next week." My mouth drop's open. A devil's pitchfork?! It's impossible! It's designed so that there are two forks that are there, two forks that are real. You see a third fork when looking at it straight on, but it fades away- it's not really attached to the fork. There are only two prongs, yet there are three!

"Or," she giggles, "You could always make an ambihelical hexnut. Or a freemish crate! Or even an impossible joinery; there's three different ways to do so, you know." By now tears are streaming down her face, she's laughing so hard. Those items are all impossible to make! I'm stuck being her slave for a week.

"You planned this, didn't you?!" I yell. She stops laughing and stares at me.

"Yes, I did," she says calmly, "and you'll do best to keep that in mind. Next time, if I'm caught, I expect someone else to take the blame, or something new to happen." So that was what she was doing. Alright. It's better to learn this now and never make the mistake again then to see what would usually happen when she's angry.

"So, who's Lilith?" She laughs and begins to walk away.

"Go get me a blank scroll, slave," she yells over her shoulder, "There's someone I need to contact."


	4. Chapter 4: Slave

Choji's POV

To be honest, I used to think Sakura was my friend, or an ally, at least. She never teased me like the other kids. Even though she did look at me funny, I doubted it had anything to do with my weight. In fact, it had always seemed, to me at least, as if she was raising an eyebrow about my meekness. 'Why are you so weak,' it seemed she would ask. 'Why do you never fight back?' But I would just shake my head mournfully. No, I wanted to say, I can't. At this mental message she would nod, and then turn around to seek out Ino.

At first, I valued these daily meetings. She made me feel strong simply because she was. I'd seen them pick on her before. She never just accepted it. She held her head up high and yelled at them. Well…

She let them pick on her. Simple as that. She'd cry, and she'd hide, and she never fought back. But that was when they picked on her. One thing she wouldn't stand for was when they picked on Ino, or her little sister, or me, even. She stood up for others. I decided I would be like that. I decided I would be like her.

Then Shikamaru entered my life. Suddenly I didn't need Sakura anymore. Of course, I still sought her out to say hi, but she never showed up any more. She still smiled when she saw me, but seemed distracted. It was like she knew that she was no longer needed. To be honest, I was grateful. Her absence meant I could spend more time with Shikamaru only. I knew he didn't really like girls, and I figured he might get mad if she was around. So Shikamaru never knew I knew Sakura, and because of this, he never got a chance to warn me about her.

When she burned my tree house down, I was caught completely off guard.

I had loved that tree house. My dad had helped me make it when I was five, and for four years it had been my secret Utopia. Sakura found out. She always found out. And she burned it to the ground, with me still inside.

Shikamaru realized what had happened when he saw me so upset. Eventually, he got me to tell who had done it. I thought he would be mad, and go hurt her. But he just paled and told me to avoid her. Now I know why. She's a jealous kid. She marks things as hers, and they are hers. If you try to be nice to her friends, she gets jealous as Hell and attacks. That's just the way she is.

Now, Shikamaru is her slave. What do I do? I can't hurt her. She's much stronger than me. But I can't let her get away with this either. She's the one who taught me that if you can't stand up for your friends, you're nothing. I will stand up for Shikamaru. I will face Sakura.

-

My mouth drops open, horror flooding my mind.

"Shi-shika…?" He looks up at me, is eyes lifeless.

"Shikamaru, what did she do to you?" I yell, tears flooding my eyes. He just shakes his head. Not here. Not in front of Ino and Asuma. They want to know, I can tell. But Shikamaru's pride won't allow it.

"Shikamaru," Asuma sighs after failing to get him to tell what happened, "I think you should go home. Training is cancelled for today. Choji, go with Shikamaru and make sure he gets home safely." I nod.

"Come one Shikamaru." He follows me without any resistance. I wait until we enter his house and are past his kitchen. I lead him up to his bedroom and watch as he collapses onto his bed. Even now I don't talk. He'll tell me what happened when he's ready.

"My parents don't know yet," he says, breaking the silence. I nod.

"Chips?" I offer. Neither of us are hungry, but it helps lower the tension.

"Thanks Choj," he says. There's tiny smile on his face, but it looks fake and weary.

Minutes pass. The chips are finished. Finally, Shikamaru looks up. I plop down onto a beanbag chair. This could be a long story.

"She demanded that I meet her at her house at midnight," he begins, "She met me at the door of her house and led me up to her room. As usual, her parents were gone. We were all alone. She still told me to be silent. Then she pushed me into a chair. Through some jutsu, she trapped me in it with genjutsu chains. I couldn't move, not that it would have mattered. She got out a knife. Then-" Shikamaru's voice quivers. I bring out another bag of chips and try to comfort him. I can guess what happened well enough.

"Then she cut you, right?" Shikamaru nods. We both stare at the long red gashes running up his legs, stomach, and back. On his forehead rests a Pentacle. The flesh around the design is bumpy and singed looking.

"I can't control my chakra," he says, seeing where my eyes have drifted. I feel fear settle in the pit of my stomach. Is she some kind of witch? Can she really control energy through occult symbols?

That isn't the worst marking. His arms claim her ownership. On his right arm, her first name, written in Japanese. His left arm showcases her last name, traveling inwards towards his elbow, in English. The letters are shaky and look like dripping blood. It's horrible to see, and it must have been pure Hell for Shikamaru.

"She cut me," he whispers, "and then lit a match and traveled back over the wounds with fire! Then she poured in some poison, and said that it would 'keep your wounds from healing. Because we can't have that, now can we?'" He shudders. I don't know what to do, so Shikamaru and I just sit there until lunch.

"My dad's on a mission," he says, "and mom's at a friend's house, so we should go make our own lunch now." I nod, thankful that he remembered my large appetite. Somehow I don't think he's ready to eat yet. I'm proven right as he hands me his sandwich. I don't hesitate to eat it. I know he sure won't.


	5. Chapter 5: Pet

Kiba's POV

"K-Kiba?" Ino hiccupped, tears still streaming down her pale face. Her blond hair seemed to form a halo around her frame, which was currently shaking with sobs.

"Ino?" I said in surprise. What was going on? Ino was the coolest girl in the academy. Why was she, of all people, crying?

"What's wrong?" I asked, "Are you scared of the exams?" She laughed nervously.

"N-no, actually, it's… well…"

"Hey, don't worry!" I smiled, "I won't judge. Right, Akamaru?"

"Yes!" he barked back to me. I nodded. Akamaru is my best friend. Back then, he was just a cute little puppy. Mom had just given him to me, so he was like a novelty. We did, and still do, everything together. I can understand him, even though no one else can. It's an Inuzuka thing.

"…Sakura," Ino said, fresh tears beginning to drip. I was so startled I almost drop Akamaru.

"Sakura?" I exclaimed, "is she okay? Ino, is someone hurting Sakura? I know people bully her, but…" Then something occurred to me.

"They're not hurting you, too, are they?"

"NO!" she yelled, the strength of her voice surprising me, "SAKURA is hurting ME!"

She was standing now, her face angry. It was then that I noticed the bruises lining her face and arms.

"Stop it, you bitch!" I yell. Sakura pretends to think about.

"Hm… now why on earth would I do that? It's your own fault, anyway."

"Okay, so it's my fault! But what does Akamaru have to do with it?" I plead.

"He keeps you from making the same mistake again," she smirks, "now shut up, or I get roasted dog meat for dinner. How do you think I should season him? Cook him in a stew? Maybe eat him like a steak. I suppose there might be a good recipe online. The Chinese used to eat dog, didn't they?" I grit my teeth, but she glares at me.

"…Yes," I sigh in defeat. There's no winning with her. But to my surprise, she moves over to the fire and removes Akamaru off the rack. His fur is singed and he's trying to whimper through his burnt mouth, but he's alive. I hug him like he's a teddy bear. Sakura watches me, amused.

"So," she says casually, opening the way for a conversation, "Do you plan on entering the Chuunin exams?" I freeze. The Chuunin exams? With everything that has been going on lately, I completely forgot about that.

"I suppose," I say cautiously.

"Do it," she responds, "make your whole team enter." My eyes narrow, but I say nothing. Angering her is foolish. That much, at least, I learned.

Our teams had been training as one unit at the training grounds. At least, we were pretending to. Shino and I got along fine in front of our Sensei, and then bickered like crazy behind Kurenai's back. Naruto and Sasuke pretended to respectively like and hate Sakura, but flinched every time she glanced at them. Sakura pretended to pine after Sasuke and scorn Naruto, but spent an unbelievable amount of time teasing Hinata. Not bullying, just teasing. If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn Sakura had a crush on her. And, being the idiot, I am, I asked Sakura if she had a crush on Hinata.

In my defense, I come from a family where everyone can say whatever they want to with little or no consequences. In fact, mom and dad encourage my sister, Hana, and I to yell at each other. It's better than trying to kill each other, they say. So I don't really have a good check on my mouth. Besides, it's Sakura's fault too! She didn't have to be so obvious about liking Hinata! Of course, I probably should have known that no good would have come from pointing this out, but it's not my fault!

What price will I have to pay for one little slip up?

Sakura and I are hiding behind a grocery store, watching Sasuke and Naruto yell at Kakashi. They're all really mad! Well, Sasuke is at least, which is kind of weird. He's normally so quite! Anyway…

"Sakura's a freak!" Sasuke bursts out.

"Now, now," says Kakashi mildly, "Don't call her a freak. Don't forget, it's common for girls her age to fan girl. She'll mellow out during the Chuunin exams."

Sakura, a fan girl? Ha! Sasuke also seems to find this both absurd and extremely frustrating.

"No, that's not it!" he exclaims in exasperation, "She only acts like a ditz around adults. With us, she's always staring off into the distance, listening to voices that aren't there. She rarely talks in crowds, and glares at anyone who tries to be nice to her. Plus, when she's angry…" Sasuke's voice lowered to a whisper, "she-" Suddenly Sakura steps out into the alley, and I follow her.

"Well, Kiba, it's certainly nice to see you again," remarks Kakashi, "what brings you here?"

"Kurenai-Sensei wanted to know if your team was entering the Chuunin Exams," I say, thinking quickly.

"Of course. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to brief Sakura about an upcoming mission." I nod and quickly dart back behind the building- only to see Sakura. She's staring at her teammates intently. It's actually really disturbing.

After a minute of weary silence, Naruto bursts out, "Why did you say that, teme! Now she'll kill us for sure!"

"She would have anyway, baka! How much longer will it be before she tires of us? I had to try, and that was the only way I could think of to convince Kakashi that something was wrong with Sakura."

"You still should have known that she'd be listening," grumbles Naruto.

"And still is." Sakura lightly stepped out of the shadows. Both boys pale.

"I suppose you're my allies now?" she asks in amusement.

"All-allies?" asks Sasuke cautiously. Sakura nods.

"If anyone else tried to betray me and tell my secrets, I'd have to kill them. If you're my allies, you're safe."

"For now."

The Chuunin exams have begun.


	6. Chapter 6: Exams

Hinata's POV

Sakura-chan has been acting strangely lately. She is usually always smiling and laughing, but lately she has been much quieter. It is disturbing, almost, the way she seems to analyze people, looking for weaknesses. I knew she was mad at them, but for what, I do not know. I also do not know how vast her anger is. I do not want her to hurt our friends, but I do not think I have much say in the matter.

The Chuunin Exams have begun.

We are waiting in the large room with the other hopeful genin. Kiba is more nervous than usual; he is jumping at every sound that rings out. I am worried about him. I keep glancing at him and asking him if he is okay. Did Sakura do this to him? But the last time I did this, he yelled at me to mind my own business. I fear that Sakura's damage to him is already done.

I have talked with Shino and he has said that he does not know what is wrong with Kiba either. It appears to have something to do with Akamaru, though. Kiba is treating Akamaru like a favorite teddy bear and will not put him down. I can hear some of the other teams laughing at us. They think that we are weak. But even in our current state, I know that we will not lose, at least not yet. Sakura-chan hates the people from other villages. She will ensure that we will get as far as possible, even if she must destroy all competition to make that possible.

Shino's bugs are acting very strange. They seem confused, almost panicked. They keep flying around in no real pattern. But Shino says they're trying to tell him something, and he needs to concentrate. The room is loud and people are beginning to get anxious. I don't want to add to Shino's distraction, so I go to stand by Sakura and her team. Kiba follows me at a safe distance, still avoiding Sakura's eyes. She smirks, enjoying the power she has over him- no, the power she has over us. She's in control here, and she knows it.

Soon Ino's team has joined us. Even Neji-san's team is huddled close. Anything is better than standing next to strangers, I suppose. It's strange. Even while trying to appear as if we don't know each other, everyone is still almost spiraling in towards Sakura. But now I realize something that turns my blood cold. It's not just us. Everyone in the room, whether they notice it or not, seems to be orientating themselves towards Sakura, moving closer when she steps back, shifting when she does. Everyone has their body at least partway angled towards her. I check myself and realize that I am doing the same thing. But I find myself shifting at the exact same time she- and the rest of the room- does. And then the position seems almost too comfortable to give up. It's like an odd magnetic attraction. It's frightening.

"You must be Sakura and Sasuke-chan," a man says walking up into the ring of the rookie twelve. We all eye him warily. He looks very odd in appearance. He has long white hair pulled back into a pony-tail and glasses that seem to flash in time to hide dark eyes from revealing true feelings. I don't like him, but I'm sure that Sakura can handle him fine.

"How do you know our names?" Sasuke asks, drawing slightly inwards towards his team. Sakura simply looks amused.

"My name is Kabuto Yakushi. This is my seventh time in the exam. And I'm quite… observant, I suppose you could say. I keep notes on everyone I see. Nin-info cards, I call them. The info is burned in with chakra so only I can read them." I notice that his eyes are locked with Sakura, as if he's speaking only to her. She's staring back, and, while her smile is smug, she doesn't seem angry that he intruded. In fact, it almost looks like she expected him to interfere. So they know each other, then.

"Is there any one in particular you'd like information on?"

"Gaara of the Sand and Rock Lee," says Sasuke after a moment, when it becomes obvious that Sakura is playing up the weak teammate card.

"First is Rock Lee. He's a year older than you guys. His Sensei is Gai Sensei. This is team's first time attending the Chuunin exams.

"Gaara of the Sand has completed 8 C rank and one A rank mission. He returned from all his missions without even a scratch." Everyone's eyes widen. We all huddle a bit closer, glancing around nervously for this Gaara. Some of us are more discrete than others, but we're all shaken. After all, we're only rookies, and most of the many people in the room look much stronger than us. I realize a moment later that some of them seem to have singled us out to glare at, too.

"You all be careful, ok?" Kabuto-san smirks, "the Genin here are the elite from their villages: Leaf, Sand, Rain, Grass, Waterfall, and even a new village, Sound."

"I-it muh-makes-s you l-l-lose your confide-dence, d-d-doesn't-t it-t?" I whisper shyly to Sakura, tripping over my words.

"Don't worry," she murmurs, barely audible even to me, "we'll _annihilate_ them, if they're not careful." I nod, gulping. I'm not quite sure which is worse.

A large man with large muscles and many scars enters the room. All of the Genin are sat down on the benches next to someone who is largely a stranger. I get put next to Naruto-kun. On the table in front of us are sheets of paper turned face down. The directions are explained with one main rule. Do not cheat. We are given an hour and then told to start.

I turn over my paper and stare at it. The questions are hard, far out of a normal Genin's range. I gulp and force myself to calm down. I paid attention in school. I studied hard with my cousin Neji-san and sister Hanabi-chan. I can do this. I open my back again and stare at the test. I force myself to look for patterns and hints between questions. Nothing. But, after a minute, I remember how to calculate the circumference the kunai would be able to be thrown in. Scribbling down work, I manage to describe the answers. Then I set to work on the cryptogram. This one is a bit more challenging for me, but I finish it in five minutes. I glance up to see a man making a check mark on his sheet. Someone was caught cheating. I sneak a peek at Naruto. His face is turning red and he's holding his head in his hands. He can't solve the questions. I feel my heart sink. Naruto… he's a such a nice boy… always so happy… I don't want to see him fail… why isn't Sakura helping him?

A man near Naruto is caught cheating too many times. His team is escorted out. Sakura has not done anything. I can't stand this. I need to help him!

"Naruto," I whisper, "you can look at my test." He seems confused.

"You can look at my answers, Naruto-kun."

"Hey, Hinata?" he asks quietly, seemingly suspicious, "why are you willing to do that?" My heart sinks. He doesn't trust me.

"Because…" I gulp, "I… don't want you to disappear here." He looks surprised I quickly back track.

"See, the nine of us are the only rookies, we need to work together." This answer seems to satisfy him. But I feel as if someone is staring at me. I turn around slightly. Sakura. Cheeks on fire I turn back around and stare at the paper. I'm in trouble. What did I do wrong?

Naruto refuses to look at my answers. Sakura is still glaring holes in the back of my head. Naruto still can't answer any questions. What did I do? What did I do? 30 minutes left. I'm begin to shiver. I… I didn't mean to put their team in jeopardy, I just wanted to help! Why is she mad at me?

I remember Kiba's terrified face. I remember Ino crying in the restroom. I remember the careful way Naruto and Sasuke hold themselves around her. And now her anger is focused solely on me. I feel like I will be sick. I sink lower in the chair, covering my eyes. What did I do?

13 teams have failed. They're dropping like flies. Naruto still can't answer a single question. At least Sakura has momentarily turned her attention to Ino-chan, allowing Ino to get the answers for her team.

Time passes. It is time for the final question. And it is quite odd. By the Rules of Desperation, we must chose whether or not we will take it. If we do not, we will fail. But if we take it and miss it, we will never be allowed to become Chuunin. It makes me nervous, but I know I must take it. I will answer it correctly, and surely Kiba and Shino will be fine.

But teams are beginning to drop like flies. And Naruto? How will he ever answer correctly? Sakura still won't move. Does she really not care? What could she be planning?

Naruto is raising his hand. Are they really going to fold? Will I really have to watch my team continue on without them?

No. I should have known better. I almost want to giggle. Naruto is simply trying to beat the system, saying he will never give in like that. He's so cute.

We've… passed? Simply by remaining? What twisted rules…

As we file out of the room, I see Sakura meet my eyes before heading into the restroom. Terrified, I follow her. As soon as the door is closed, I find myself slammed into the wall. Where is the guard? Knocked out, lying in the corner.

"Give it up," Sakura hisses, "you have no chance of escape."

"Wuh-what did I do?" I plead.

"What did you do? You could have made my team flunk, you bitch!" My head is slammed against the wall again. I'm starting to bleed.

"I didn't know! I thought I was helping!" I say, trying to make her see that I meant no harm. I'm thrown to the ground and kicked- hard- in the ribs.

"Did you not think I knew what I was doing?" she asks, her voice dangerously low, "did you not trust me to make sure my team, at least, passed?"

"No, I trusted you, I'm just stupid, I'm sorry!" Tears are running down my face. Memories of having my clothes ripped off and standing naked on the monkey bars, only a breeze away from falling, flash into my head. I'm trembling, left to wonder where the nice Sakura who used to stand up for me has gone.

I'm being yanked up by the collar of my shirt. The sink is turned on and face is slammed into the bottom. The stopped is on the sink. It's beginning to fill with water. I try not to struggle too much, but I can't breathe! The world is beginning to grow dark. I can't think. I can barely move. She wouldn't kill me. She wouldn't!

I'm yanked out, left to cough and throw up on my own.

"Don't mess with me again, bitch," Sakura snarls, slamming the door behind her, letting me curl up into a ball and cry alone.


	7. Chapter 7: Exams 2

Shino's POV

_We are five years old, just starting the Konoha Ninja Academy. I do not want to be here. I would rather be at home with my mother and father, but I understand that we must learn so that we may grow up and become suitable ninja for our village. I am in a class with approximately 30 other young hopeful shinobi. Our teachers are Iruka Umino and Mizuki. They say that they will lead us on a long, hard journey, but it will be worth it. Then they line us up in a row and say they want to get to know us._

_They tell us to tell them our names and something about ourself. I memorize each name and face easily. But I will not bore you with all of them, only the ones who will be important._

_Choji Akimichi-_I will do anything to protect my friends.

_The teachers glance at the floor uneasily. They do not think a boy like him will be able to make friends. He is too overweight, and children are cruel._

_Sakura Haruno- _I love having friends!

_The teachers smile, thinking this a perfectly normal answer, if perhaps copying Choji a little bit._

_Hinata Hyuuga- _I-I wuh-want t-to pluh-please my fa-fa-fath-ther

_What a wonderful answer, the teachers gush, loyalty is a wonderful trait._

_Kiba Inuzuka- _I'm going to be really strong!

_Everyone rolls their eyes, but that's very normal for five year old boy. It's like wanting to be a fireman or a truck driver._

_Shikamaru Nara- _Eh. I just want to have an average life, I guess. Troublesome

_Most people seem a bit shocked by this answer. If he wants to have a normal life, why is he a ninja?_

_Sasuke Uchiha- _I'm going to be just like my big brother!

_The teachers smile._

_Naruto Uzumaki- _I want to be Hokage!

_Again, everyone rolls their eyes. The teachers seem a bit nervous around him, which is odd._

_Ino Yaminaki-_I am going to be the perfect kunoichi for Konoha

_Another wonderful answer. I wish to know, what is the perfect kunoichi like?_

_As for me, my name is Shino Aburame. I believe that emotions are weakness. Of course, what the teachers do not realize is that I have Asperger 's Syndrome. Relating to others does not come easily to me. It is much easier to simply show no emotions than to show the wrong one. And because of my bugs, people do not try and communicate with me more than is necessary. I am left largely alone to do as I please. This suits me perfectly._

_That is why I am surprised when the little girl who said her name was Sakura comes up to me._

"_Hi!" she exclaims, "I'm Haruno, Sakura! Nice to meet you!" She seems like a very happy little girl. I frown and allow a few bugs to crawl out of their holes. She is unfazed._

"_You're Shino, right?"_

"_Yes," I say after a moment. There is no need to be rude to her, after all. She smiles widely._

"_You wanna sit by me at lunch?"_

"…_no. I will be fine eating alone. Thank you for your offer." For a moment, her eyes seem to flash angrily. Then she smiles again._

"_That's fine! Sometimes I wanna be alone too. See you later!" she skips off to say hello to a little boy with dark hair hanging shyly in the corner. She is quite odd._

_I do not see her again for most of the day. We do not sit near each other and she has to go to separate kunoichi classes. It is not until school is ending that I see her playing with some other kids. Then a larger girl comes over to her and begins to mock her. I remember that this girl is Aimee._

_Sakura begins to look angry. She grabs Aimee's arm as if to hurt her. A teacher comes over and says some words, and Sakura begins to cry. I wonder if she was blamed?_

"_Teacher," I say, walking over quietly, "It was not her fault. Aimee was teasing her." The teacher seems nervous. It is because of my Kekkei Genkai. Most people do not like bugs. The teacher mutters something and leaves. Aimee-san looks angry, but screams and runs off when she notices my bugs._

"_Thank you," Sakura-san smiles, "I owe you one."_

"_No. It was not a problem."_

_Sakura shakes her head, saying, "No. One day, you're going to be in trouble. And then I'll help, okay? And we'll be even. I just hate owing people, okay?" I nod, and we shake hands._

We are standing in front of a large forest.

"You'll soon find out… why it's called the Forest of Death," Mitarashi, Anko tells us.

"Bah! You don't scare me!" Naruto-san yells foolishly. Anko-san tells him that kids like him die quickly in the Forest of Death. Then she cuts his check and licks the blood. A freak with a long tongue gives Anko-san her kunai back. Then we are given waivers. Anko-san does not wish to be in trouble if we die. Apparently, this test will be quite hard. We are to go from one of 44 gates to a tower in the middle of the center of the training arena. It is a journey of 10km, roughly 6.3 miles. We are to be given either a heaven or an earth scroll. We must bring one of each to the center tower. We are to be given a time limit of exactly 5 days.

Because of the way this test is set up, only half of the teams, or 13 teams, can pass. During the test, we must find our own food and water. The forest is full or deadly beasts and plants. It is unlikely that 13 teams will pass. The whole team must survive if they are to pass. And you must never look inside the scroll.

I quickly analyze my team. My whole team is exceptional at tracking, with my bugs, Hinata's Byakuugan, and Kiba's nose. Kiba is a very strong fighter. I am a good strategist. Hinata is very smart. We have a good chance of survival. It is our specialty, and we know it. As Kiba so rudely put it, as long as Hinata is willing to kill enemies, we will do just fine.

Up to this point in time, all of the rookie nine have made it. This test might change that.

We are assigned to Gate 16.

Almost immediately, we decide that setting up traps near the tower would be best. Another team tries to attack us, but we use a trap of Leaf Village Jumping Leeches to our advantage. The leeches are normally very hard to find. Sakura-san told us exactly where we would find them and the best way to set up a trap using them. Said she was now even with us. Said it was her apology for some of the things she'd done. It mattered not. Within five minutes of having their blood drained, the team that tried to attack us is dead.

The test has begun.


	8. Chapter 8: Orochimaru

Sasuke's POV

Pain. That's the first thing I notice. Pain, searing through every muscle, every bone, every cell of my being. I'm on fire, on FIRE, and I can't move, there's a weight crushing me and I can't fucking move! My neck seems to be the cause and I want to fucking tear it off, make the pain stop! I'm barely aware of anything, barely even aware of myself. Everything's growing black black black and my mind is getting fuzzy. All there is is the overwhelming pain, and I can't stand it! I'd rather die, God, just let me die!

But I don't. Instead I just slip

mercifully

into

sleep.

"_I'm going to kill you one day."_

"_I know."_

The Forest of Death was a good place to hold the Chuunin Exams. No better way to prepare child soldiers for their death, really. Immediately after the test started, the bloodshed started. Screams rack the forest, metallic smell of blood soaking out of the ground with every step. Barely ten paces in, and it's starting. Sakura tenses, whining, playing her part. Someone must be watching us. Scary thought. Is anything we do in here unmonitored? The Jounin aren't watching. Don't want to interfere. But every wrong step is an invite to stalkers wanting the scroll. They can't all die in here. Better to play it safe.

Naruto is complaining about wanting to use the restroom. Idiot. Doesn't he realize he is inviting attacks? But I let him go. Sure, we need our whole team alive to pass, but Sakura allows it. I wouldn't be surprised if she has every single moment planned out. Chilling thought, but at least she's forced onto our side for this.

Naruto comes back. But something is wrong. He's wearing his pouch on the wrong side, and his check is no longer scratched. It is a fake. I waste no time at all attacking him with my Mythical Fire jutsu. Unfortunately, an explosion note allows the enemy to get directly behind me.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura calls, her voice as worried as could be. My stomach begins to churn. Who is she so worried about? Who could possibly live to tell her secret?

Naruto, late as always, joins in the fight. The enemy retreats. Is that what Sakura was worried about? But no. If she had just fought him as she is capable of, he would not have been able to leave. Someone else is here. Someone powerful, even more so than she is. Someone she fears. We must be careful, then.

"We need a code," I say carefully, pretending to be quite but knowing the enemy can hear, "A large amount of loud enemies is a friend of the shinobi, hide and remain silent. A shinobi must understand the proper time, when the enemy is tired and ill prepared." Naruto is silent. He cannot understand the code. If he is captured, we will know easily. As for Sakura, if she were to be captured, I cannot imagine the enemy being capable of impersonating her. She has far too many odd quirks unseen by those she leaves sane.

Within moments, we are again attacked. Thankfully, two of the enemies are told by their leader to go somewhere else. The leader wishes to deal with us alone. An explosion is set off. The three of us scatter. I find myself with Sakura. Then 'Naruto' comes forward, but this person knows the code. As Naruto could never have memorized it, we know this is not Naruto. How odd that it is always Naruto they chose to impersonate…

I look up at the leader and freeze. What a scary person… just seeing their eyes reminds me of death… mind reeling, I lean over and throw up. I glance nervously at Sakura. She is trembling. I cannot tell if she is honestly scared… but if she is…

I'm shaking, barely able to think. I need to escape this fear. Somehow, I must keep us alive. I must move, get us out of here. It takes all of my willpower to bring a kunai to my own leg. It stings, but my mind clears as fear is replaced by pain. Still, the enemy is strong. I must end this quickly.

I am so panicked, it takes Sakura shouting at me to force me to notice the gigantic snake hoping to turn me into dinner. And I do mean gigantic. Damn it! How are we ever going to survive this?

And here comes Naruto, attempting to play the hero. But we can't win this. Doesn't he realize that? We can't win! Not even Sakura can beat this man! How can we ever survive? I need to live! I need to kill Itachi! I can't die here! Desperate, I do the only thing I can think of. I offer the man the scroll to leave us alone. But Naruto, stupid as he is, won't let me. He won't let me save us! What is wrong with him? And now the man is angry. Naruto, stupid Naruto, is trying to attack, but the man is too strong. Even with this odd boost anger seems to have given Naruto, he cannot win.

Something is happening. The man keeps talking about a seal, and he has hurt Naruto. What can I do, though? What can I possibly do? Sakura calls me a coward. Am I? Itachi. How can I ever hope to defeat Itachi if I cannot even destroy this Genin?

I want to survive to defeat my brother. I must. But I refuse to fear this shinobi. I refuse!

Something is different now. Better. My Sharingan is active. I can see now, truly see. It's not hard for me to attack anymore, not hard at all. I tie the man to a tree and burn… off… his… face?

"My name is Orochimaru," he says, "If you want to see me again, then survive and pass this exam."

"What the Hell are you talking about?" Sakura demands, "We would never want to see you again!" She's right. This man… this Orochimaru… I wish I had never even seen him to begin with. Why would I ever seek him out?

The man's neck expands, stretches, grows, and suddenly _he's biting me._ And pain sears through my body… and it all. Goes. Black…


End file.
